30 before 30

well, it appears there are 442 days remaining until my 30th birthday. since my life tends to revolve around to-do lists... why not have a 30 before 30 to-do list! so, here we go! feel free to give suggestions to any of these!

1. buy new towels for the bathroom & throw out the old ones
2. go to a nice restaurant downtown wearing a cocktail dress
3. run a 5K straight without walking
4. visit 1 (maybe 2) new states
5. go to see a play/musical/ballet/opera
6. treat myself to a massage
7. read 10 new books
8. get my next tattoo to celebrate the 10yr anniversary of my surgery
9. go on a trip with my sister (without the nieces)
10. take a dance class – something new
11. complete a bike/run race (muddy buddy will suffice)
12. cook thai food at home by my self
13. lose 10 pounds
14. create a morning schedule and stick to it
15. sew a pair of pants that fit correctly
16. go out of the country (preferably someplace new)
17. go skiing
18. do a 50s pinup photo shoot (the classy kind though)
19. start writing the book i’ve been talking about for years
20. spontaneously take a weekend road trip (no planning whatsoever)
21. take an art class – the real kind
22. make fresh homemade bread
23. find a good dermatologist
24. start an etsy shop for grits&lime
25. mail my postsecret
26. make a meal for my family – holiday style
27. host a party
28. complete a sprint triathlon
29. create a real savings account and leave it alone
30. buy something nice for myself from tiffany’s (it is my namesake after all)

top ten things to remember at a job fair

hi there. today i represented my company at the job fair sponsored by congressman peter roskam. in college and as an intern, i attended several job fairs as a potential employee. however, this was the first time that i had attended one as an employer. there were some things that instantly stood out to me and i thought i'd share them in my newest addition of my top ten's.

1) breathe.
the first woman i talked to today was so nervous & i simply reminded her to breathe. she instantly became more relaxed.

2) do not show up in a tshirt and jeans.
or shorts for that matter. you can't compare to the candidate next to you in a suit...

3) prepare your one minute elevator speech.
know what information you want to relay to me and keep it short & sweet.

4) do not solicit.
we're there to talk to potential employees. don't take time away from them!

5) bring a notepad.
take notes and reference the companies and jobs you're actually interested in so you can circle back to them.

6) do not stop by just for the pen.
at least talk to me... otherwise, you're wasting time for both of us.

7) pay attention to your personal hygiene.
wear deodorant, eat a breath mint, brush your hair.

8) do not assume you're going to get an interview.
you still need to sell yourself & have a great resume.

9) have a firm handshake!
a limp handshake conveys weakness and lack of self-confidence.

10) do not give your resume to every company.
you're allowed to be picky. take this time to interview the company! ask questions about culture, values, jobs, and benefits!

cast your vote!

well it's vacation time. well, almost. i've got one more work week then i'm taking this show on the road.

there are three objectives for this vacation: plenty of beauty-rest, plenty of beach time, and finally catching up on my reading. that's where you come in. i am planning on taking 5 books with me & want your input! which of the following ten books should i bring and write a quick review on? cast your vote & stay tuned for the reviews!



1) elizabeth gilbert's eat, pray, love
2) barbara ehrenreich's nickel & dimed
3) chelsea handler's chelsea chelsea bang bang
4) ian mcewan's the innocent
5) gary vaynerchuk's crush it!
6) michael j. fox's always looking up
7) kathryn stokett's the help
8) sue grafton's u is for undertow
9) stieg larsson's the girl with the dragon tattoo
10) jacqueline jones' saving savannah

also posted at grits&lime

small obsessions are a good thing, right?

one of the great things about my "day job" is that i can truly do what i love and be myself 100% which is admittedly quite quirky and precisely what has inspired this post.

a large part of my quirkiness is that i have some fairly random obsessions. i was reminded of a few of them recently, so i thought i'd welcome you into my world!

i absolutely love to cook. it's yet another way for me to be crafty and try new things. don't get too excited... that's not the obsession. it's my choice of cooking utensils. i am in love (aka have a deep obsession) with wooden cooking utensils. it seems you can't have too many. at least not in my world. i found these gems over the weekend from crate&barrel! so pretty!!!



i've also always had a little obsession with buttons. i don't actually collect many things. however, buttons are definitely one of them! i have jars of buttons. i buy buttons, save buttons, pick up buttons that i find. i know, i know... random. but i warned you!



the last of my tiny obsessions that i'll share (before i scare you off...) is journals/notepads. i've always had a fascination with paper products! ironically, one of my best friends was a print management major in college so she was always working on projects for school that quickly became little gems for tiffany! today, i game across these beautiful journals and desk sets at papercrave. yes, please!!! they're gorgeous!!!



so what little obsessions do you have?

also posted on grits&lime!

why pay?

With the economy the way it is and less companies engaging recruiters, do you think it is worth it for individuals to pay a recruiter themselves?

No matter what type of economy we're in, there is no need to pay for a recruiter. There are tons of firms out there where it is free for the candidate (they'll get the fee from the hiring company).

I'd recommend researching recruitment firms that are free or just keep at it yourself. You can do the same work! Drive around town and write down names of companies you see on buildings. Google companies that you're interested in. Talk to your friends. Attend social/professional networking events. The more you talk to people, the more leads you'll have (and it's still free!).

Ask me anything